Revealing Secrets
by HimmelRomance
Summary: Revealing a single secret could change the life of the Prince of Slytherin. I was requested to make a one-shot for my friend based on Draco Malfoy following her plot so here it is.


**Revealing Secrets. **

It was another day, like any other day, at the legendary school of Hogwarts. I, Draco Malfoy the Prince of Slytherin, waddled down the long, darkening corridor within Hogwarts to the Great Hall to enjoy a splendid meal which, honestly, isn't as amazing as my mother's cooking. I swiped my bleach blonde hair back while I sharpened my silvery blue eyes at Pansy Parkinson whom clung at my arm like a hopeless child without a teddy. With a sneer I managed to break away from her death grip, warningly glaring at her.

"Did you hear about Potter falling off his broom?" Blaise, a Slytherin friend, asked me from my left side and I evilly grinned in pleasure.

"I saw it with my own eyes, that idiot, and Weaselbee's little sister shrieked like a pig!" I exclaimed with a laugh, and as I laughed Pansy laughed as well making me glare at her once more, shutting her up straight away. Stupid pug faced child.

"Do you know who did it?" Blaise continued on and I simply shrugged with a grunt, not caring the slightest bit.

"Me neither" Blaise added. Finally we reached the Great Hall and, as we entered, I restrained myself not to throw up at the sight of that Mudblood lover, Dumbledore, who merrily sat on the teachers' table. As my eyes lingered Severus Snape nodded in greeting while a fat blob of pink, Professor Umbridge, sent a girly grin in my way making my stomach churn in disgust and I quickly turned my eyes away, focusing on the Slytherin table where many looked up at me.

"Urgh that blood-traitor is sitting in our seat" Pansy sneered and, as I strolled in-between the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables, I realised who pug-face was on about.

There she sat in all her glory, the outsider to Slytherin, Zara Baxton. She was some sort of rebel to the school system for she had long dark brown hair (that almost seemed black at times) that had bright pink and purple streaks in it, clashing against her grey eyes that looked green when gazing at them for too long. On her pale skin she had snake bites making her small lips seem inviting, suggestive, in a weird sort of way. Although we aren't on good terms (we're actually the opposite) I know a lot about her. I know that she is extremely clever and should have been put into Ravenclaw, I know that many of the Slytherin members pick on her (including myself), and I know that she is brilliant at Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts and also I know that she has one hell of a temper on her.

"Oi, Baxton, what brings you here?" Pug face sneered as we sat in our seats next to her. A small shiver travelled down my spine as I gazed into her emotionless eyes as I sat opposite her.

"Dinner, obviously" she drawled out making a small grin fall onto my lips but, cleverly, I formed it into an arrogant smirk that made Zara fall her eyes onto her plate, realising that I was there. Pansy, not liking the fact that Zara's comeback had made me smirk, began having a go at her but Zara ignored her as best as she could which was very unlike her. What was wrong with her? Normally she'd love a good old fight and an argument. Pansy continued to insult her making a guilty bubble form in my heart. Guilty? No, no… pleasurable? I couldn't decide what the feeling was but I knew, either way, I couldn't stop Pansy because my reputation was at risk. Sure, there was something about the girl that allured me in, but I wasn't going to risk my neck to save her own…

Suddenly Zara shot up out of her seat before storming off out of the Great Hall. I knew now that something definitely wasn't right so I shot out of my seat as well.

"Where are you going Drakie?" Pug face asked with puppy eyes as I glared at her.

"I forgot my wand" I sharply told her with a lie before leaving the Great Hall, keeping well hidden in the shadows as I darted down the narrow corridors, slowly following Zara as she speedily walked ahead. I know that curiosity killed the cat, but honestly, mudbloods really do come up with a load of waffle – more waffle that Loony Lovegood. I carefully kept my body well hidden as I followed, keeping a good gap in-between us both for I didn't want her to discover that I was following her; knowing my luck she'd think that I was following her (again) to go and pick on her (which I didn't mean to do but it just happened). Zara's footfalls fell into silence as she darted around the next corner making me pause in my footsteps; should I walked around the corner as well to face her? No, not yet… So with that I stood silently, awaiting her to continue walking again because I simply thought that she had heard my own feet and stopped to listen. I waited ten long, painful minutes before angrily sighing; no sound had been made during those moments except a light thump several minutes ago which I blamed a portrait for. Had Zara snuck off without me hearing or was she still standing there like an idiot? Well, I guess I only have one way to find out. I stealthily pressed my body against the wall and slid along, turning around the corner, keeping in the shadows but the sight before me mortified me, making me leap out of the shadows and to her side in horror.

A single sleeve was pulled up revealing long, ragged scars that hid behind fresh flowing blood that oozed out of freshly cut wounds. Zara's body was limp seeing as she had passed out from loss of blood. I wasn't sure what to do. Did she do this to herself or did someone attack her? It couldn't have been the second one because I would have heard the fighting… I decided that the answer was the first one and, with a grunt, I picked up the dying form with all the strength I could muster and, after thanking Merlin for giving me muscles from the amount of Quidditch practice I was forced to do, I powerwalked all the way up to the Hospital Wing in hope to save her.

Many days passed and I had barely moved from my seat next to Zara's bed in the Hospital Wing, earning nasty looks from Pansy, as she attempted to drag me away, and unwanted 'advice' from Blaise when he came to give me work from the classes I was missing. The school nurse had constantly been trying to shift me but I refused, coming up with petty excuses such as dead legs, feeling ill and once I told her I was on my period… then I realised that I sounded stupid because I wasn't a female. As I spent my time next to her side I considered the feelings I had towards her. I didn't hate her, I didn't like her, and if the truth must be told I loved her, well, as much as a boy my age could. Everything about her excited me from her intelligence to her silly habits such as sucking her thumb when reading. I didn't mean to insult her all the time, it just… happened. Well no, it didn't just 'happen', I did it to make her speak to me. Zara hated Slytherin and their ways with a passion and seeing as I was the 'Prince of Slytherin' she thought I was the worse one out of the lot so she went out of her way to avoid me and not speak to me which angered me greatly. In the end it got so bad that I couldn't even ask her to pass the salt at dinnertime because she'd either walk away or worse, ignore me. I was so desperate to talk to her that in the end I blew up at her in Potions after asking her what to put in the potion next, and we ended up in the biggest argument ever making us both lose points for Slytherin, and Gryffindor somehow, can't quite remember how Professor Snape did that, was probably Potty's fault. But yes, ever since that day I continued insulting her so we could fall into arguments; I know that it made her hate me even more but that was the only way I could get her to speak to me…

Finally, during midday, Zara began to stir, her unfocused eyes landing onto mind, widening in fear. Immediately I flared up, knowing that it was the only way I could get her to speak to me. I was concerned for her, truly I was, and I was scared, no, terrified of what she had done to herself.

"What the hell do you think you were doing Baxton?" I sneered, gritting my teeth in the process as I angrily stood.

"You nearly lost us 100 points! And you made me miss dinner!" I carried on, not that I minded missing dinner for her, and as for the house points… well, that was a lie. Zara's eyes widened even more but instead of arguing back she sat there, glassy-eyed.

"What, cat got your tongue Baxton? Or did you cut that off too?" I carried on, forcing myself to glare down at the girl that I secretly loved. Zara, at my words, fell into tears and I watched in horror; this wasn't the way it was meant to go.

"What's got into you Baxton? Toughen up…" I tried but my voice was different, it wasn't a sneer, a shout or a scowl, it was almost a plead and it sounded as weak as Zara looked. Zara, through her tears, looked up at me in confusion and I knew that there was no point acting anymore, I had let my act slip and now I had to pay the price for it. With a sigh I sat myself on the side of her bed, pulling her into an embrace that she didn't refuse.

"I'm sorry" I whispered as sincerely as possible which made Zara cry even more, clinging to my school shirt.

"Shh, don't cry, don't cry… hushhhh" I cooed, awkwardly rubbing her back as I attempted to sooth the princess down, no, MY princess down, and in half an hour I had succeeded, finally ending up with a hiccupping broken girl in my arms.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Zara weakly asked in a strained voice and I looked down at her, no longer acting my feelings towards her. I tried as best as I could to show the worry, hurt, pain and love through my eyes that were often expressed in books but, honestly, I have no idea if it actually works.

"I was worried about you; I found you… passed out f-from…" I tried to reply but the words wouldn't come to my lips as I gazed down at her bandaged arm, cringing at the spots of blood that were trying to seep through.

"Worried about me? Why?" she asked in confusion making me gently smile down at her.

"Because I love you" I told her and just to prove it I landed a gently kiss onto her lips, making a smile fall onto her lips – the first smile I have ever seen her show since I first saw her in the first year of Hogwarts.

"Will you be my princess?" I gently asked her and, very weakly, she nodded before falling back into a slumber, her face relaxed and peaceful.

To the people that knew Zara and Draco very little, nothing had changed because they continued to fight and argue but to those who knew them well they saw the love in their eyes, the playfulness in their arguments and most of all, they saw Pansy ball her eyes out in dark corners while plotting evil deeds.


End file.
